Affinity
by aefkjsdlnljasdbnvijfadnbvijer
Summary: Erwin Smith is an Alpha, and Levi doesn't do Alphas. Until he does. Omega!Levi/Alpha!Erwin, along with Beta!Hanji and Alpha!Mike.
1. Chapter 1

Levi can't deny that he feels a tug of attraction towards Erwin.

Well, scratch that. It's more like a _massive fucking wrench_ of lust towards Erwin.

And Levi would do almost anything to rake his fingernails over his abs, his biceps, his shoulders, his back, his neck – fuck, _his neck_ – or any inch of his skin. He would reach out and mess up Erwin's neatly put together blonde hair. Tug on it hard until Erwin was chanting his name over and over again. His tall height would fit so perfectly with his own body, he can just imagine Erwin spooning his from behind and it is _glorious_.

Thinking about Erwin putting him in compromising positions is also Levi's favourite late night past time. They'd do it against the wall, on Erwin's desk, in the stables, out in the yard, in the mess hall, in the communal bathroom… The list goes on and on.

And God does Levi want it. He wants it so bad, like an addiction that has festered in his bloodstream. He's a junkie and Erwin is his drug.

The only problem is that Erwin Smith is an Alpha, and Levi doesn't do Alphas.

Furthermore, he's pretty sure that Erwin has no interest in bedding an Omega, let alone Levi of all people. Hell, to add insult to the injury the man is probably only into girls anyway (although it isn't uncommon for straight men to fuck a male omega every once in a while).

Erwin, while being extremely ruthless and brutal when it comes to fighting titans, is an honourable man, and no honourable man would dare to fuck another in the ways that Levi has fantasised. Pursuing Erwin would only be a let down _and_ a waste of time.

Why risk breaking the vast amounts of trust that he and Erwin have built over the years? It's just a fantasy. Nothing more, nothing less

So Levi keeps his _massive fucking wrench_ of lust towards Erwin confined to his own bedroom in private. He's paraded as Humanity's Strongest, despite the fact that he's an Omega, and Levi takes great pride in that. It confirms what he's been desperate to confirm his entire life; Omegas can be just as strong, if not stronger, than Alphas.

He soon becomes Erwin's right hand man, swearing to follow him until their eventual deaths. Together, they fight titans and watch on as their comrades die one by one. It isn't soon until Commander Shadis can't take it anymore and somebody has to fill the top job. With Levi's superior skill on the battlefield and Erwin's magnificent, cunning mind, they manage to achieve the highest-ranking positions within the Corps.

And that's when it happens.

* * *

"No, you're doing it all wrong," Levi growls at the newest batch of recruits. They're a bunch of incompetent fools, really. "You're supposed to be in sync with one another. You need to lash at the titan at the same time so it doesn't know what's going on. There's no use in one person going in blindly without the other because you'll just get eaten before your blade even reaches flesh!"

_If only Erwin was here_, Levi thinks bitterly. They would perform this manoeuvre all the time outside the walls when fighting titans. In theory, it shouldn't have worked, because their bodies are so out of proportion to one another that they were bound to be out of sync. However, Levi's inhumane speed usually made up for the fast propulsion of Erwin muscular body, and they'd kill titans together with ease.

And just like that, as if Erwin knew Levi was thinking about him, he appears out of nowhere, 3DMG gear hooked up and ready to go.

How the hell does he manage to do that?

"Need a hand, Levi?" Erwin asks while the recruits all salute their Commander stiffly.

"Yes, in fact, I do." Levi says while he quickly checks that every strap on his 3DMG is in place. "Teaching these brats how to do synchronised manoeuvres is such a pain. Good thing you're here, I need a partner."

"I thought I was your partner," Erwin says with a hint of sparkle in his voice. Levi knows he only teasing him, and usually he wouldn't mind, but right now they're in front all these recruits and he can't let Erwin's charm get to him for even a second.

"Shut up and get ready." Levi states, probably a bit too angrily, and pulls out his blades.

The cut out titans are reset and they both position themselves in their typical starting stance.

"Left," Erwin calls.

"Right," Levi replies.

And just like that, they shoot off into the sky, soaring around in a loop and lunging down at the same time to take out the imaginary titan's arms with ease.

"Mine," Levi calls out, hooking into a nearby tree to swing himself around and up. He takes out the titan's weak spot easily despite the awkward position, spinning several times in the air.

"Next one to the right!" Erwin yells while Levi works quickly to catch up with him.

"Left," Levi calls out.

"Right," Erwin replies.

They take out the cut out titan exactly the same way. Levi can hear the recruits praise their skills, and he can't help but smirk.

They repeat the process until they reach the fourth cut out titan. Or to be more precise, until they don't reach the fourth cut out titan.

Usually the cut out titans stay upright, even when their blades hit the wood at a brutal speed. Except the fourth one falls over before Levi and Erwin even get close to it, causing them both to desperately unhook their anchors so they can hook into a safer area.

Except there is no other safe area, and instead they both crash into each other at full speed, dropping to the ground in a heap.

Levi can hear the gasps from the recruits before he can feel the impact. He braces for the worst, and yet, the worst doesn't come. Yeah, the thud of landing on the ground creates a deep ache in his hip, but everything else seems fairly unscathed...

Levi lays stunned for a second before sinking back into reality. He can't see a thing, his face shielded in Erwin's chest, but he can feel Erwin's arms wrapped around his head and his stomach protectively.

Erwin shielded him from the fall.

And then, Erwin has him turned over and pinned to the ground. Levi feels his breath catch in his chest as Erwin stares down at his body in an almost animal-like prowess. He can feel the wetness grow between his thighs at the action. Erwin is radiating pure dominance at the moment, and Levi doesn't have the self-restraint or will power to fight it. He lies limp on the ground, letting Erwin inspect his body possessively.

"Are you okay?" Erwin finally says, voice low and dangerous, much unlike his usual persona.

"Yes," Levi murmurs softly, unsure of what to do. Should he run away? Levi's mind tells him that he should, because Erwin is an Alpha and an Alpha will only hurt him in the end, but his instincts make him weak, and his heart tells him he should stay.

Erwin isn't like other Alphas, right? Erwin would never hurt him; in fact, his actions at this very moment prove otherwise. Despite having Levi in such a vulnerable and submissive position, Erwin's scent isn't pungent with lust. It's full of anger, concern and desperation, like an animal whose mate has been hurt.

_Mate._

Levi shudders.

"I-" Erwin starts, but his voice cracks before he can get a word in. "I have you. You're alright."

Erwin's words were probably more for his own sake rather than Levi's.

"I know," Levi replies softly.

Erwin reluctantly lets Levi go, shakily standing up and onto his feet. He holds out a hand for Levi to grab onto so he can also get pulled onto his feet. Levi gratefully accepts it, but only makes it halfway before his legs give out with weakness.

Levi braces himself for impact with the floor, but instead finds himself wrapped up in Erwin's arms again.

His scent is absolutely furious with rage now.

"You're all dismissed!" Erwin yells angrily at the recruits.

"Hey!" Levi mumbles, weakly pushing himself away from Erwin's arms. "Let me go, I can stand on my own."

"Hurt. You're hurt." Erwin says bluntly. "I'm taking you to the medic."

"I don't need to go to the medic," Levi replies.

"You couldn't stand,"

"That's because…" Levi mumbles, an embarrassed blush forming on his cheeks. "That's not because I'm hurt…"

"What? But then…?" Erwin asks, stopping midway before realising what Levi means.

It's not uncommon for Omega's to become weak when they're turned on, but this is just downright cringey. Admitting to Erwin - his Commander - that he can't stand because he's too turned on? It's what trashy, cliché women's magazines are made of.

Levi bites his lip to keep himself from saying anything else. Maybe burying his face in Erwin's chest isn't a bad idea after all.

"Hey," Erwin murmurs, "Don't be embarrassed, it's just the scent. I didn't even realise that I was giving it off until now."

Levi nods, but he knows it's more than that. It's much more than just Erwin's Alpha scent or his Omegan instincts. He's been attracted Erwin from day one. Even if Erwin were a Beta, he'd still be feeling this way.

"Do you… Do you want me to keep carrying you?" Erwin asks, his voice calmer, composed and much more like it usually is. He's calmed himself down and stepped away from his animal instincts.

But Levi hasn't. Instead, it's just getting worse. He keeps trembling, and fuck, he can feel the slick from his asshole soak through his pants. "I don't-," Levi shudders, "Erwin, I can't…"

"It's okay," Erwin says, clutching to Levi's body. But fuck, that just makes Levi moan. "I have you."

"I'm… sorry…" Levi manages, body pliant in Erwin's arms. He's has never felt so weak in his life. Well, except for…

_Fuck._

His heat. He's been taking suppressants everyday, exactly like he has since his first heat at 14, but sometimes they don't always work. It usually happens when he's gone for a long time without a heat, and something triggers him to have one despite the suppressants. In this case, he hasn't had a heat since before he joined the Survey Corps, and Erwin's Alpha scent has triggered him into it.

He desperately tries to rein in his scent, but he has completely lost control of his pheromones. If it was anybody else holding him, touching him, he might have been able to keep himself together for long enough to get the fuck away. But instead, he's with Erwin, the one person - besides Hanji - that he can trust. There's no way to suppress his scent now

It also hurts. His low abdomen is cramping, his dick is painfully hard and his pants are absolutely ruined. There's an ache, a deep ache, for someone or something to fill him up. He can feel his consciousness slipping, like he's about to be dragged over the abyss and nothing can be done to stop it. It has infiltrated his blood stream now, and there's no going back.

"Shhhh," Erwin whispers. "We're almost at your room."

Levi reluctantly lifts his head from Erwin's chest, and it's true, they are almost at his room. He hadn't even noticed that they'd left the field.

They make their way inside Levi's room and Erwin carefully places him down on his bed. Erwin moves to let go of his body, but Levi's hand are still firmly implanted in Erwin's uniform.

"Levi," Erwin chokes out, "You have to let go of me."

He's clearly struggling with his self control.

Levi moans and reluctantly releases his grip in Erwin's shirt. But as soon as Erwin moves away, he's writhing and gasping with the excruciating pain he's grown to associate with heats. "No! No… Alpha, please…" Levi doesn't even know what he's saying anymore. "Please…"

Levi can hear loud growl, and in seconds, Erwin is on top of him, body pressed up against his own, mouth hovering over the scent gland in his neck.

The pain dissipates briefly.

"Levi," Erwin growls. "I can't keep it together… I- You smell too good… You need to tell me what you want, otherwise… I don't want to hurt you…"

The words spin around in Levi's mind. Is Erwin really attracted to him? Is he really offering to be with him? Is this even real? Levi only wishes that his heat would subside enough to let him think this out… But there's no time. Every inch of his body feels like it's going to overheat, and he needs to do something about it.

"My clothes," Levi gasps, "My clothes… Take them off… Please Erwin, I need you…"

"Are you sure?" Erwin asks with a ravenous look in his eyes. "I need to make sure you're consenting… Levi…"

God, he's even asking for consent. What has Levi ever done to deserve Erwin?

"Yes, yes I consent!" Levi almost yells. "Just don't knot me, I'm not on birth control."

Erwin buries his face in Levi's neck. "Of course," he murmurs, quickly licking and sucking at Levi's scent gland.

Levi bucks his hips up to meet Erwin's, and before too long Erwin is bucking down as well to meet Levi's hips halfway. The sensation is addictive, and along with Erwin's scent, he gets lost in it easy. He knows he's making embarrassing noises, but he's too far gone too care.

Suddenly his clothes are ripped off and he's laid bare in front of Erwin, whose wandering hands make Levi shiver. "So beautiful," Erwin whispers before biting down on the junction between Levi's shoulder and neck.

Biting scent glands is usually reserved for mates only, and Erwin makes sure to stay away from that area, but that doesn't stop Levi wishing that he didn't.

"Mine," Erwin says, leaving Levi's neck to look into his eyes. Just that simple word is so erotic, that Levi can feel the slick creep slowly out of his asshole.

"Yours," Levi replies breathlessly, "Erwin… I've always been yours…"

They kiss hot and heavy, tongues dancing around each other briefly before Erwin's wins out and claims Levi's mouth. And Levi can't do anything but lie there and let Erwin take what he wants.

Levi's abdomen cramps up and he can feel his heat peak once again as every inch of his skin craves Erwin. "Need you," Levi whimpers, "Now… Now, please…"

"Shhh," Erwin whispers once again, "I've got you."

Levi nods shakily but groans in discomfort. The preparation is rushed and desperate. Erwin's fingers are nowhere near big enough to make Levi content, and it just ends in Levi begging for Erwin to fuck him.

"Erwin, please… Please… I- I need it… I need your dick… Fuck me, c'mon… Alpha, please…"

Levi's breath hitches as Erwin lines his dick up to his asshole and oh God, he is so close, just a few more inches and his big thick dick will finally be inside of him and it feels _so good_.

"Are you sure?" Erwin asks.

"Yes," Levi gasps, "Now, Erwin, please."

Erwin's hips buck up and Levi arches his back, head thrown into a silent scream.

"Fuck, Levi," Erwin moans, bucking up again, "So tight, so hot, so mine."

Levi hands make their way to Erwin's back as he clings to him desperately. "Yes… Yes, Alpha…" Levi manages before returning back to his breathy moans.

Erwin starts a slow pace, savouring the way that his dick drags in and out of Levi's asshole, but snaps after a few minutes and starts rocking into Levi at full force.

Levi screams, because it's almost too much. Erwin's dick, Erwin's mouth, Erwin's scent, Erwin's body; Erwin's everything. In that moment, Levi clings to it for dear life, nails deeply embedded in Erwin's skin.

It's almost too much, until it is too much, and he's falling over the edge with such force that he blacks out into a blissful sleep.

When Levi comes to, the first thing he feels is the relief of his heat being much less prominent than before. The first thing he notices, however, is that he's snug in Erwin's arms, who is also playing with his hair.

"Hey," Erwin says, free hand lifting up Levi's chin, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Levi replies almost automatically. It's almost weird just how okay he feels.

And then he feels the stickiness in between their stomachs and he can't help but wonder… "Yours or mine?" Levi asks, still inspecting the stickiness.

"Both," Erwin replies with a smirk.

"Ugh, disgusting,"

"Do you want me to clean it up?"

Levi thinks about the offer, before shaking his head. "No… I- I kinda like it…"

Erwin chuckles and Levi can feel his cheeks burn up yet again, so he buries his face in Erwin's neck to shield it away.

And that's when the full smell of Erwin's scent gland hits his nose. He can't help but make his way over to the spot and tentatively give it a lick. It tastes amazing and it's not long until Levi is sucking on it in earnest.

"Levi," Erwin breathes in a content sigh.

In this moment, everything feels right.

"Do you think you could go tell Hanji that I accidentally had a heat? She can get me the medicine that will ease it… I haven't had one in a while, so it might be really painful."

"Right now?" Erwin asks, fully prepared to go forward and do what Levi asks, but hesitant to leave Levi alone.

Levi shakes his head. "I'll probably pass out again before the next heat wave." His limbs ache and everything is already feeling a bit fuzzy. "Maybe then?"

"Of course," Erwin says, tucking Levi's head under his chin. "Anything for you, Levi."

_What exactly is this?_

_Why are you with me?_

_Why are you so different from the rest of them?_

The questions swirl around in Levi's head, but he pushes them aside in favour of passing out again. Who knows how much of his heat he can spend in bliss like this? He might as well make the most of it and get some sleep.

After all, there's no way that Erwin will still be there when he wakes up.


	2. Chapter 2

When Levi's eyelids finally flutter open, he feels downright awful. His stomach lurches and a bucket appears in front of his face. There's no hesitation to empty the contents of his stomach into it. The nausea makes his head spin and he wants it to go away as quickly as possible.

"How are you feeling?" Somebody asks.

"Mmmm," he moans, clutching his stomach, "Not so good."

"Serves you right," another person says.

Levi glances up to see Erwin sitting on a stool beside his bed and Hanji leaning against the wall opposite him. Erwin looks mildly concerned, while Hanji looks downright pissed.

Levi clutches at his head. Everything is so fucking fuzzy. "What happened to me?"

"You don't remember?" Erwin asks. Levi can hear the hurt in his voice.

He closes his eyes and tries to clear his mind. He woke up, did his chores, ate breakfast, did his paperwork, went out to train the recruits and then-

_Oh shit._

His stomach lurches and he vomits into the bucket again.

"Yeah, I remember," Levi mutters weakly after he's done vomiting. Erwin grabs a water bottle from beside his bed and passes it to Levi silently. He immediately takes a sip, with a small grunt of appreciation escaping his throat as the cool liquid passes his lips.

"What? You remember how you two fucked? What a blessing." Hanji rants, hands in the air.

The awkward tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and Levi feels like smacking Hanji in the face for making things even more awkward.

"I should leave…" Erwin says, standing up.

"No!" Levi says suddenly. _Fuck,_ his mouth really needs a filter. He clears his throat and tries again. "You can stay, if you want…"

"I have work to do," Erwin says stiffly, making his way to the door. "Get well soon, Levi."

Levi feels his skin burn as the Alpha walks out the door. He desperately suppresses the whine in the back of his throat. Even if he doesn't feel the blinding sexual arousal right now, he's still needy of an Alpha's attention. Instead, he tries to focuses on Hanji's Beta scent, which always manages to calm him down.

"Now you have some explaining to do," Hanji grumbles. "When the hell was your last heat?"

Levi honestly tries to think about it, but he has no idea when his last heat was. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Hanji huffs. "Levi, it's fucking dangerous to suppress your heat for more than two years. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Once I entered the Survey Corps it didn't seem practical or safe to go into heat," Levi explains. "So I didn't."

"Oh, heaven forbid that Humanity's Strongest show even a little bit a weakness," Hanji says, slumping into Erwin's vacated chair. "And then you fucked the Commander?"

Levi bites his lip. More like the Commander fucked him, although the evidence has mainly been disposed of. The last thing he remembers is being covered in cum, but right now he's completely clean and in pyjamas. Somebody must have cleaned him up.

"Yeah, I did," Levi replies.

And in the blink of an eye, Hanji switches to manic mode. "Give me all the details," Hanji squeals. "How big was his cock? Because if you look at the height of his body, he should have been pretty considerable… And what position did you do it in? Because I always thought that our Commander was a closet kinkster- Wait! Did he hurt you? Do I need to beat somebody up? Commander of the Survey Corps be damned, _I will hurt him._"

"Hanji… Please… Quiet down…" Levi pleads, pain pulsing in his head. "I honestly can't remember the details."

"Well you're no fun," Hanji pouts. "You can't even remember the size of his cock?"

Levi muses. "It was big."

Hanji whistles, picking up something from his bedside table and pushing it in front of his eyes. "You'll need to sign these forms."

Levi glances at the papers in his hands and rolls his eyes. "Hanji, I don't need birth control."

"Are you planning to have pups?" Hanji squeals once again. "I'm so excited!"

"Hanji, _no,_" Levi hisses, hand pressed up against his head. "Can you please keep your voice down?"

"Fine," Hanji mutters, swatting Levi's hand out of the way to feel his forehead for herself. "You're burning up again."

"Again?"

Hanji nods, before grabbing the water bottle and wetting a small towel to place on his head. "You've had a fever on and off for about three days now."

"Wait- _Three days,_" Levi says in disbelief. He's almost slept through the majority of his heat. No wonder he doesn't feel as horny as usual.

Hanji nods. "We were really worried about you."

Levi doesn't miss the 'we' at the start of her sentence.

Hanji shoves the towel on his forehead and the water bottle back into his hand. "Drink the water."

In a face off between Hanji's wrath and the water bottle, Levi chooses the water bottle.

"But I don't need birth control," Levi states after gulping down the water, "I'm pretty sure you took care of that."

Hanji's eyes narrow and she crosses her arms. "What are you trying to imply, Levi?"

Levi glances sideways. He remembers the way Erwin held him protectively in his arms. He remembers the way Erwin's fingers carded through his hair. He remembers the soft touches and caring words. But he also remembers how desperate and messy and rushed it was. There's no way Erwin wanted more than that, and the way he practically bolted out the door a couple of minutes earlier confirms it. Levi is sure.

"Nothing," he says, turning his face back to look her in the eye, "I don't need the birth control. Erwin's not coming back, so there's no need."

"Wait," Hanji says, waving her hand in the air, "You think Erwin's not coming back?"

"Well, yeah."

"Are you kidding me?" Hanji shrieks. "I had to bring that man food because he wouldn't leave the room until he knew you were alright. He hasn't left for anything other than bathroom breaks. The only reason he left a couple of minutes ago was because he has three days of work to catch up on, and he knew beyond doubt that you were alright. Thank God for Mike, he's basically been running the joint."

Levi takes a few deep breaths in order to let Hanji's information sink in. But even if Erwin wanted him… He's an Alpha...

"I know your first instinct is to push him away," she says softly in a rare moment of calm, "But that man cares about you and I know for a fact you care about him too."

Levi bites his lip. "What about the Corps, Hanji? We've dedicated our lives to humanity. There's no time for bullshit like that."

"Fuck the Corps," Hanji says seriously. "If anything, that's one of the main reasons why you should go for it. Any one of us could die at any minute, so you should seize the day while you have the chance. Before it's too late."

Hanji slips the form for birth control in front of him again, shoving a pen into his hand. "Sign the sheet, take the birth control and see what happens."

Levi reluctantly signs and Hanji leaves it at that.

* * *

Levi can smell Erwin a mile away, before he even knocks on the door.

"Come in," Levi calls out.

Erwin chuckles and opens the door. "So you could smell me then?"

"Of course I could, you stink."

Erwin laughs again as he stands awkwardly beside the door. "Hanji said I should talk to you."

Levi hums, sitting up in his bed. "And?"

"Well- I-," Erwin mutters. "I'm not good at saying shit like this, Levi."

Levi fakes a gasp. "The great, charismatic, Erwin Smith lost for words? How could this be?" He drawls sarcastically. "It's me, Erwin. Just say what you think."

"Do you want to move into my room?"

_Well,_ Levi was not expecting that. They haven't even talked about the one time they had sex and now Erwin is asking him to move in with him?

"What?"

"I just thought it would be nice," Erwin explains, scratching his head. "I really like your company- I mean, _fuck_\- I really liked the sex too, well, except for the fact you were pretty much out of it, but that's not the most important part of our… _our thing_\- well, it is nice- I mean, what I'm trying to say is-,"

"Come here," Levi says, cutting off Erwin's floundering. He walks up to the bed apprehensively and stops right in front of it. Levi sighs and pats a space on the bed next to him, hoping Erwin gets the point.

"Oh," Erwin sighs in understanding. He carefully creeps onto the bed, but keeps his contact with Levi at a minimum.

It's then that Levi realises Erwin is just as insecure as he is. They've known each other for 2 years and he's never said anything about wanting a mate. Levi hasn't even seen Erwin have a drunken hook up. The man is practically married to his work, and painfully so. He has absolutely no idea about what he's doing, much like Levi.

But he knows enough to respect Levi and his boundaries, and Levi thinks that's a pretty good start.

"I'll move in with you," Levi says.

"Really?"

"What did I just say? Yes, you idiot."

Erwin turns his body to the side so he can pull Levi into a half-hug. "Thanks."

It's scary. It's so freaking scary letting somebody, _an Alpha_ of all people, into his life like this. The urge to say no and push Erwin away is itching under Levi's skin. But it's _Erwin_. If he can't trust Erwin, there's no hope in the world at all. He needs this in order to feel something other than anger over the titans. He needs Erwin so he can start healing and living like a human.

And Levi's starting to get the feeling that Erwin needs this just as much as he does.

* * *

Levi packs his suitcase and moves it into Erwin's room in the middle of the night to avoid detection. Rumours are already swirling around the base after the training debacle, and it's in both their best interests to keep this on the down-low.

The room is almost twice the size of Levi's own _with_ an en suite attached. The thought of bathroom privacy – well, somewhat privacy - is really appealing. The room is kept fairly neat and tidy, so he won't have to worry about cleaning it up either. And it smells of Erwin, too. His lips curve into a small smile.

"I cleared out half the drawers and wardrobe for you," Erwin says.

"That isn't necessary, Erwin."

"Of course it is," Erwin says. "It's not fair that I have all the space. We're equals here. No ranks or positions."

Levi can feel the tears prickle at his eyes. Erwin may be talking about their military ranks, but the same still applies to their biological status. Erwin wants them to be _equals_. It's something that Levi thought he would never live to see; an Alpha ranking themselves the same as an Omega.

Levi sucks in a sharp breath and turns away, suppressing the tears. "Alright."

He zips open his suitcase and carefully places his few civilian clothes and belongings in one of the two drawers given to him.

"Wow, you don't have that much stuff," Erwin says over his shoulder.

Levi shrugs. "You can have the leftover drawer back."

"No, it's yours," Erwin murmurs. "Besides, it's just an excuse to buy you things so you can use it."

Levi honestly can't help the blush that forms on his cheeks. His heart thuds hard and heavy against his rib cage as he turns around to meet Erwin's eyes, staring at back at them in disbelief. Erwin just smiles.

"C'mon, it's late. Let's get your uniforms into the wardrobe and go to bed."

They transport his uniforms - which look almost ridiculous next to Erwin's when comparing size - with Levi stopping to iron some of them out. "It saves time later," Levi says, although it's got more to do with the fact that he can't stand his belongings looking messy.

Erwin yawns and starts to strip his clothes and Levi has to do a double take to make sure he's actually seeing what he thinks he is. I mean, sure, they had sex, but Levi can't really remember the details. And right now, he can see _the details_. Erwin keeps his boxer shorts on - thank God - but that doesn't hide the view of his incredibly muscular chest and toned arms.

This is something Levi has been fantasising about for years, and now that it's finally in front of him, he takes a few moments for some shameless staring before turning around to strip himself of clothes. He discards his jacket, shirt and boots – 3DMG straps have been long since taken off – but opts to keep his pants on. Erwin's done everything right so far, and he feels stupid for letting his anxiety get to him like this, but he's still not ready to be so vulnerable in front of Erwin yet.

_Small steps,_ he remembers.

Erwin slips under the covers and Levi follows. Erwin doesn't make any move to touch him, and Levi thanks him internally. His skin crawls at the fact that an Alpha is _right there_ and sleeping beside him. A normal Omega would never act like this, and Levi hopes Erwin doesn't think he's broken.

Levi closes his eyes and drifts into a fitful sleep, dreading the inevitable moment that Erwin stops caring about him so much.


	3. Chapter 3

"Nice to see you again Nile," Erwin says, holding his hand out for Nile to shake.

From what Levi has gathered, they've been friends since their Cadet years, but Erwin has refused to explain it any further. Not that Levi feels entitled to know anything more about Erwin, but Levi wonders what must have gone down between the two of them to end up in different military branches.

Levi salutes. "Commander Dawk," he says with a slight undertone of sarcasm. It will be a cold day in hell when Levi greets Nile as nicely as Erwin does.

"Captain Levi," Nile acknowledges, although refuses to look Levi in the eyes. He rarely does, as if Levi is less than a human being and more like a titan.

Anger boils in the pit of Levi's stomach.

"I'm here to talk business, Erwin, but not as the Commander of the Military Police," Nile explains. "For your ears only."

Levi's fists clench at his sides. The need to punch Nile in the face has never been stronger. But instead, he lets Erwin do the talking, knowing that anything an Omega says will just fly straight over Nile's head anyway

"Whatever you have to say you can say in front of my Captain, Nile." Erwin says, still sporting his trademark charismatic smile. "It's imperative he is up to date on any information that is potentially detrimental to the Survey Corps." His voice dips and he narrows his eyes, "That is why you're here, right?"

Erwin, ever the manipulator, changes the subject and Nile obliviously follows. "To put it bluntly, the Survey Corps' funding is thinning out again."

Erwin nods, "Of course. Many people have tried to bring down the Survey Corps before. I'm not surprised."

"But this time it's not one person," Nile says. "The Wall Cult has been rising in favour and influence ever since the fall of Wall Maria, and their first order of business is to bring down the Survey Corps."

"I see," Erwin muses. "So our next expedition beyond the walls has to bring results, I assume?"

"Correct," Nile says. "I must be off now. But I would be careful about your plans for the next expedition. Don't do anything too radical. Go out and come back with as many soldiers as possible. It's the only way to get the Wall Cultists to back off."

"Thank you for the warning, Nile."

Nile takes his leave without so much as a glance in Levi's direction. Fucking typical.

"What do you think, Levi?" Erwin asks, taking his position behind his desk while Levi sits in the chair opposite.

"I think Nile's an asshat," Levi says candidly. "And I think the Wall Cultists are a load of rubbish."

A small, genuine, smile graces Erwin's lips and he nods. "I'm sorry about Nile."

"Whatever," Levi says, waving it off. "Nothing I haven't had to deal with before."

Erwin hums, before clasping his hands together and resting his head on them. Levi knows Erwin well enough to know when he drifts off into deep strategic thought, and at the moment Erwin's right in the thick of it.

Levi also knows Erwin well enough to know the general idea of his strategy. Erwin is a risk taker, and brutally so. He'll do whatever it takes to ensure that the Survey Corps survives until he's either killed or the titans are wiped out.

"You're not going to play it safe on this next expedition, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

* * *

"Levi's got a mate!" Hanji teases.

"Shut up, Hanji," Levi snaps. "We're not mates."

"_But you live with him_," she says. "For what it's worth, I think it's cute."

Levi rolls his eyes and continues to eat his food. He's too hungry to be arguing with Hanji over the state of his relationship with Erwin.

"Attention soldiers," Erwin's booming voice calls out. Levi's hairs stand on end when he hears the Alpha's strong and dominant voice. "I'm here before you to announce the commencement of the 39th Expedition Outside the Walls in a months time on the 28th of November, 846."

Mike walks up beside Erwin and holds up a map with red markings showing their route. "The main objective of the Expedition is to reach the town of Walden about half of the way into Wall Maria. From there, we will aim to set up a permanent route to Walden and a base. This is so that we can easily reclaim it on future expeditions and hopefully, in the near future, make it to Shiganshina."

There are few hushed whispers from within the mess hall, but most people are stunned into silence. Even Levi, who knew that Erwin was going to try and pull something off, is fairly shocked. Most of their expeditions into Wall Maria barely reach the quarter-way mark, let alone the half-way mark. Levi can't imagine what kind of tactic Erwin has planned to try and reach Walden.

To claim Walden is another step towards getting to Wall Maria, and if they can make it Wall Maria, they might be able to seal the hole made by the Armoured Titan. An impossible task, for sure, but if Erwin can manage to convince the Wall Cultists that they've taken a step in that direction, the Survey Corps might just be saved.

After all, the Wall Cult loves nothing more than their fucking Walls.

"Any questions?" Erwin asks, but the room remains fairly silent. Either they're too afraid to ask, or they know they won't get an answer.

Erwin then exits the stage with Mike at his side.

"Well that's just great," Hanji retorts, abandoning her food. Everybody in the mess hall is probably abandoning their food at the thought of another expedition. "I think your mate has finally lost his marbles, Levi. He's trying to get us to accomplish the impossible."

"Not my mate, Hanji," Levi says. "And he has his reasons."

"Aw," Hanji sighs. "You're protecting him. That's adorable."

"Shut. Up."

* * *

Levi immediately flops onto Erwin's bed after dinner. He's exhausted from restless sleep and he's highly strung out from the drama of the day. Erwin's still in his office, finalising the details of the expedition, so Levi figures it's a perfect time to have a bath in private without the awkward bonus of Erwin being around.

Levi runs the bath scalding hot and fiddles around with Erwin's soaps. He picks up one bottle, and the smell immediately hits his nose as being distinctly Erwin. He guiltily dunks a generous amount into the bath.

Once the bath is full, Levi steps in and sighs at the way the water tingles on his skin, finding comfort in the fact that the water washes off the dirt and sweat that has accumulated on his body throughout the day. He lies still as his mind drifts off, the warm water soothing his aching muscles.

He blocks out any thoughts of the expedition or Nile or Erwin or anything else, and just lets his mind rest for a while.

"Levi!" A voice yells, breaking him from his light sleep. Erwin stands before him panting, his scent stinking of worry and protection. "Thank God you're okay."

"What? Why wouldn't I be?" Levi asks, confused over Erwin's word.

"You weren't responding to me and I thought… I don't know… Something happened…" Erwin mutters.

It's then that Levi realises he's stark naked in the bathtub.

_He fell asleep in the bathtub._

Levi refuses to blush this time. "Are you done sulking yet?" He asks. "I'd like privacy."

"Oh, yeah," Erwin says, before leaving the bathroom and closing the door.

Levi steps out of the now cold bath and wraps himself in a towel. He feels a tiny bit guilty for treating Erwin so harshly. It was quite dangerous to fall asleep in the bathtub, and the man was only looking out for him.

Levi sighs and exits the bathroom, towel covering his hips.

"Look, Erwin, I'm sorry-,"

But his words are lost as he is pressed up against the wall. Erwin's hands are placed on either side of Levi's head, but his body doesn't make contact. Erwin takes a deep breath, and sighs. "You smell like me."

"Uh," Levi mutters, still confused by the sudden movement. "I might have used your soap."

Erwin nods, and Levi can visibly see the Alpha try to reign in his instincts, but his eyes are darting down to Levi's uncovered chest, which distract him from the task at hand. Levi rests as far into the wall as he can and takes deep breaths to calm himself down.

But it doesn't work, and it's not too long before he finds himself just as worked up as Erwin, heat clinging to his body as craves Erwin's touch.

"Erwin… We should… You should…" Levi tries to find the words, but they're caught in his throat. Erwin runs his fingers lightly down Levi's jaw and Levi shivers on reaction. "Stop."

Erwin instantly breaks from the haze and steps back, freeing Levi from his position on the wall. "Levi I-,"

"It's fine, Erwin," Levi says, tightening his grip on the towel covering his body. The way Erwin immediately stopped what he was doing when Levi told him to means a lot more than any apology he could spill from his mouth.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," Erwin says, regret painted all over his face.

"It's fine, Erwin," Levi says again. "I'm not entirely blameless either. Let's just leave it at that." In other words, he actually really liked it, but he's just too broken for actual intimacy.

Erwin nods, "Okay."

That night, while Levi tosses and turns, unable to sleep, he wraps his arms around Erwin's stomach and prays to God that Erwin is too deep in sleep to notice.

Unbeknownst to Levi, Erwin smiles.


	4. Chapter 4

Levi groans as Erwin detangles himself from his arms.

"Sorry," Erwin whispers, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," Levi murmurs lazily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He notices that Erwin has stopped what he was doing to stare at Levi fondly. "Stop staring at me."

"It's quite hard to gather the strength to leave your arms, by the way."

"Stop saying shit like that." Levi scoffs, sitting up. "You're turning sentimental, old man."

Erwin places a gentle hand on Levi's shoulder. "It's true, you know that right?"

Levi's breath catches in his throat, stunned by the sincerity of Erwin's words. He's heard these caring words come from Erwin's mouth while he's been fuelled by Alpha instinct, but he has yet to hear them said with so much honestly.

A warm, fuzzy feeling fills Levi's stomach and he decides to let his walls fall just a tiny bit, enough to grace Erwin with a small smile. "I know," he replies.

They stare at each other for a moment, the tension rising until Erwin decides to break it. "Can I kiss you?" He asks.

Levi honestly stops to think about it, but shakes his head. "No."

Disappointment crosses Erwin's face and Levi smirks. He leans forward, closing the gap between them to claim Erwin's lips for himself. Erwin lets out a surprised gasp, and Levi calls it a victory.

He pulls away briefly in order to whisper into Erwin's ear, "I wanted to kiss you first."

Erwin's hands grip Levi's hair, "How do you always manage to surprise me in the best ways?"

"It's part of my charm," Levi says sarcastically.

Their lips find each other again as they heatedly start making out, hands grabbing at clothes and skin. Erwin's touch is electrifying, and Levi can't help but drink it all in, over and over again.

When they walk into the morning meeting half an hour late, Hanji smiles knowingly.

* * *

"They're onto us," Levi says to Erwin when the meeting ends and they're left alone.

Erwin shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "They might be."

"You're not more concerned about it?" Levi asks, sitting on the edge of Erwin's desk. "Rumours can get nasty."

"I'm not too worried," Erwin says. "I'm the Commander of the Survey Corps. Anything I do in my spare time is my business, not anybody else's."

Levi nods, agreeing with Erwin's words. Feeling playful, he pushes off from Erwin's desk and walks towards him slowly. "What if you do something while you're supposed to be working?"

Erwin's eyes darken as he catches onto what Levi is saying. "That depends on what you're suggesting…"

Levi grabs Erwin's hideous bolo tie and tugs it forward so that they can kiss, just softly, before pushing Erwin back into his chair. "I guess you'll have to find out," Levi purrs, climbing slowly onto Erwin's lap.

They keep kissing for a while before Erwin decides to leave Levi's lips in order to assault his neck with kisses and small bites. Levi clutches at Erwin's hair desperately, feeling an electrifying heat travel down his spine and throughout his body.

"Erwin," Levi moans, "My scent gland."

Erwin hums as his mouth hovers over Levi's scent gland, circling it with his tongue. Levi's entire body feels like it's on fire now, moaning at the touch of his Alpha. He wishes that Erwin would use his teeth to squeeze lightly on his scent gland, just enough so that he can feel it-

And just like that, Erwin's teeth scrape lightly against the gland causing Levi to let out a small squeal.

Erwin chuckles, but Levi scowls. "Don't start something if you're not intending to follow through with it," Levi bites out.

Erwin pulls away from Levi's neck so he can make eye contact. "Would you want me to follow through with it?"

Levi knows what Erwin's question implies. It implies that they'd become mates, meaning that Levi would become Erwin's and Erwin would become Levi's. They'd become linked to each other physically, mentally and emotionally.

And Levi doesn't entirely hate the sound of that, but there's still so much that Erwin doesn't know about him. Their relationship is still so much of a gamble, especially in the Survey Corps.

"Maybe one day," Levi teases, slipping further into Erwin's lap. "But right now I think you should follow through with what we were doing this morning…"

Erwin's hands reach around to grab at Levi's ass, grinding him down onto his lap. "Is this okay?"

Levi nods, leaning in to kiss Erwin, tongues battling once again. It feels like heaven and he doesn't ever want it to end.

And then somebody walks into Erwin's office.

"Erwin, there was a-"

At this point, Levi's too far-gone to care about the intruder, despite their extremely compromising decision, and is fully prepared to kick them out using brute force. All he wants to do right now is kiss his lover in peace.

Instead, it's Erwin who stops the kissing, almost immediately, but he doesn't make any move to push Levi away. Instead, he clutches his body possessively, and his pheromones radiating a smell that Levi can only describe as _'mine'_.

"I'm sorry Erwin, I should have knocked first-"

"What is it, Mike?" Erwin asks, a soft growl accompanying his tone.

"There was a snake in the stables and some of the horses got really spooked," Mike explains, "Including yours."

"I'll be there in five minutes. Dismissed."

Mike scurries out of the office and Levi can imagine that his nose is going at a mile a minute. "Well, they're definitely onto us now," Levi sighs in frustration.

"It's Mike, he won't tell a soul," Erwin says, still not making any move to let go of Levi.

Levi relaxes while Erwin returns to Levi's neck, urgently biting and sucking. His arms stay wrapped around Levi's body and his scent still stinks. There's also no mistaking the hardness Levi feels at Erwin's crotch.

"You got off on Mike walking in on us, didn't you?" Levi accuses.

Erwin shrugs, "I like other Alphas knowing you're off limits." He kisses Levi's scent gland for emphasis, before pulling away and detangling himself.

"I don't want you to go," Levi whines, his skin already feeling cold from a lack of Erwin's touch.

"We'll continue this tonight, I promise," Erwin says, kissing Levi's mouth briefly.

Levi reluctantly gives up his time with Erwin, but can't help entertaining the idea of murdering Mike.

* * *

The rest of Levi's day ends up being hell. He's been way too horny to focus, and he's sure everybody can smell it. So he decides that he doesn't want to wait for Erwin to finish work for the night - because _fuck that_ \- and instead seeks him out in his office. This is all Erwin's fault anyway, so he'll just have to deal with the intrusion, even if he doesn't like it.

But by the way Erwin has Levi pressed against his desk, Levi concludes that Erwin probably doesn't mind.

"Did you lock the door?" Erwin asks between kisses.

Levi smirks, "No."

"Who's the one getting off on people walking in now?"

Levi huffs and scratches Erwin's scalp, "Are you going to suck me off or what?"

"So demanding," Erwin whispers as his hands move slowly over Levi's clothed crotch. Levi can only whimper in return.

"Fuck you," Levi bites out.

"Hmmm," Erwin hums. "I think I'd prefer to fuck _you._"

"I hate you so much."

"I know you love it anyway," It's true, Levi does love it anyway. Especially now that Erwin is finally undoing his pants.

Levi releases a broken moan as Erwin's mouth finds his cock and his fingers find his dripping hole. He grabs his discarded cravat and shoves it in his mouth to prevent any loud sounds.

Erwin chuckles, backing off for a second, "I didn't think you were into bondage, Levi."

Levi groans in frustration, feet digging into Erwin's back, hoping that the man gets the point.

"No need to get pushy, Levi," he taunts before taking his cock into his mouth again. Erwin's fingers also get to work, probing and stretching Levi enough to cause even more slick drip out.

It doesn't take long for Levi to come, back arching elegantly off of Erwin's desk.

They lay slightly uncomfortably on Erwin's desk, Levi blissed out, yet still unsatisfied. He knows what he wants. He's wanted it this entire time, ever since his heat, but he's been waiting for Erwin to earn his trust before following through with it.

But right now, Levi thinks, Erwin has earned his trust in more ways than one and it's time that he just gave into his instincts and started living for a change.

"I want you to knot me, Erwin," Levi says softly into Erwin's throat, while he giving his scent gland tiny kitten licks.

Erwin groans, "We can't, remember? You're not on birth control."

"I am. Hanji forced me onto it. So we can. I want to."

Erwin groans again. "Not here," he says. "We'll go back. I want you to be comfortable."

Levi wants to argue that doing it _right here_ and _right now_ in Erwin's office is completely fine, but remembers that he'll be stuck to Erwin for a while after, and that time would be much better spent in a bed.

"Okay," Levi agrees, before the pair go back to their room.


	5. Chapter 5

Erwin's hands are down Levi's pants before they even reach their room.

"You're eager, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Erwin says, opening the door to their room and pushing Levi gently inside. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Levi swallows, "How long?"

"Very long," Erwin replies.

Levi desperately wants to ask _how_ long – the idea that Erwin has been interested in him for a while seems absurd - but decides to let it go. They can leave that conversation later, because right now he wants to be with his Alpha.

Erwin slowly pushes Levi's jacket to the ground, followed by the unbuttoning of his shirt and unzipping of his pants. Levi has to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from whining impatiently.

"You're so beautiful," Erwin breathes.

Considering Erwin's perfect body, Levi knows he's not anywhere near the definition of beautiful. He turns his head away so that Erwin doesn't see the insecurity in his eyes.

"Hey," Erwin whispers, soft and concerned. His fingers run lightly down Levi's cheek. "Are you okay?"

Levi nods, "I'm fine." There's no point in letting his stupid insecurities ruin this moment for them.

"You'll tell me if something's wrong, won't you?"

"I will." Levi leans forward to start taking off Erwin's clothes. "As long as you stop worrying about me so much. I'm fine. I'm not going to break. I want this."

The rest of their clothes are quickly shed, leaving a trail on the ground leading up to their bed. Levi pushes Erwin onto the bed, moving quickly to pin him down, legs straddling his hips tightly.

"Levi," Erwin mutters breathlessly.

"I may be the Omega, but that doesn't make me the bottom," Levi purrs into Erwin's mouth, capturing his lips in a kiss, full of teeth and tongue.

Levi rocks forward, trapping Erwin's hard cock beneath him. Erwin moans shamelessly as slick drips from Levi's hole onto his body, further fuelling both their lust.

"Fuck," Erwin cries when their lips part for air.

Levi gets a sick sense satisfaction from having an Alpha so willingly stay bellow him, raking his fingers down Erwin's rock hard abs.

Erwin grabs one of Levi's hands, entwining their fingers. "Whenever you're ready, Levi." He's fully prepared to go at Levi's pace, and Levi couldn't feel more affection for the man than in this moment. But he wants – _needs_ – to be fucked, and the slow pace is killing him at this point.

Levi bites on his lip hard as he sinks down onto Erwin's length without warning, who graces him with a surprised groan.

Levi whimpers as he bottoms out, the feeling of Erwin inside of him is far better than what he remembered. Quite suddenly, he feels his whole body warm up and fall weak. Any strength he once had to hold Erwin down is now gone, replaced by a shaking, writhing mess.

Erwin's fingers dig into Levi's hips, lifting his body slightly and dropping him back down. It feels so good, but it's still not enough, and soon Levi is desperately moving his hips up and down with whatever strength he has left.

"Shit," Levi chokes, "_Shit,_ Erwin."

He can feel his Omega senses take over, and the need to dominated and claimed by his Alpha pulses through his veins. He wants Erwin to hold him down and pound into him ruthlessly with no mercy until his knot fills him up and he comes inside.

God, he wants it.

Erwin dives forward to scoop Levi up and pin him down on the bed. He growls like an animal and Levi shivers at the Alpha's display.

"Take me," Levi gasps, bearing his neck and scent gland for Erwin. "Erwin, take me."

Head buried in Levi's neck, Erwin starts thrusting forward in earnest. Levi can't help but let the moans and screams fall from his lips as they mix in with Erwin's grunts and growls.

It's not too long before Levi feels Erwin swell inside of him and completely loses it at the feeling.

"Oh _fuck,_ Erwin!" Levi shouts, coming hard. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Levi's body falls limp as Erwin continues to thrust forward, but he doesn't stop making noises as he Erwin's cock swells even further inside of him. It feels fucking fantastic, but it's _so much_ – almost too much – and Levi considers trying to push Erwin away, but he knows it's too late now and Erwin's going to come at any moment.

Erwin's hold on Levi tightens, teeth sinking into his shoulder as he comes with a large grunt. Levi squeals at the feeling of Erwin's cum, arms and limbs flailing due to sensitivity.

"Ah," Levi pants, feeling himself grow hard again, "Alpha… Your knot…"

Erwin slowly clears the haze of his orgasm and reaches down to lazily jerk Levi off. "Feel good?" He pants into Levi's ear.

Levi can't do anything but hold onto his Alpha and frantically nod. Erwin's knot has stopped growing and is now firmly anchored itself inside of him. It makes his entire body heat up, desperate for release.

"Come, Levi," Erwin commands into his ear. "Come for your Alpha."

Erwin's words push Levi over the edge again and his weak body trembles in aftershocks over Erwin's cock. Erwin holds him through the whole thing, pressing light kisses over any skin that he can reach.

"Are you okay?" Erwin asks, pulling Levi onto his chest after he stops writhing.

"Stop worrying about me," Levi says, voice soft from overuse. "I'm fine… More than fine, really…" Levi bites his lip and snuggles further into Erwin. "Your knot feels really good."

Erwin smiles and presses a kiss to Levi's forehead. The two stay embraced until Erwin's cock slowly returns to normal state. When he pulls out, thick globs of cum and slick start dripping out of Levi's hole.

"Ugh, fucking disgusting," Levi mutters. "The sheets are getting dirty."

"I'll clean them in the morning," Erwin replies.

Erwin spends the rest of their night wiping down a very sleepy Levi with a wet towel, stopping every now and then to place a soft kiss onto his body while Levi internally thanks every God imaginable for gifting him with such an amazing, considerate lover.


	6. Chapter 6

Erwin was never interested in Omegas - not that they aren't good people or anything. He's met many females who have flung themselves onto him at a single whiff of his scent, and all have been perfectly fine women, but he never took an interest.

Betas, on the other hand, have mainly been the subject of Erwin's affections, the most notable being Nile's Marie. Maybe it was because Betas bring some sense of normalcy to this chaotic and tragic world, or maybe it was because he didn't like his relationships determined by biology or a smell.

Erwin never thought too much about it. Why bother with something so trivial when there are flesh eating monsters and a corrupt government trying to cover it up?

And then Levi entered his life, and he fell for the Omega harder than anybody else, Marie included.

He knew Levi was an Omega, he could smell it through even the dirt of the Underground, but for some reason it didn't matter; his graceful and talented use of 3DMG, his determination to defy Erwin with every ounce of his being, and the unspoken care he had for his two friends, set him apart from anybody he'd ever met. No scent or biology involved; just Levi.

Even when Levi hated him, Erwin loved him.

And even now – especially now – Erwin still loves him, with every pulse of ruthless heart.

With Levi's body in his bed, Erwin's days pass peacefully (even with an expedition looming). And despite going against every single ounce of Erwin's logic, he wishes that they could stay like this forever.

* * *

One night, Levi's distressed scent wakes Erwin to see the Omega pressed into the corner between the bed and wall, his body thrashing and shaking in a frightful trance.

"Levi," Erwin says, placing his hands on Levi's shoulders.

"Get away from me!" Levi screams, swatting Erwin's hands away.

"Okay," Erwin says calmly, moving away. "I'm not going to hurt you, Levi. It's me, Erwin, remember?"

Levi's body continues to shake, but his head is dipped, hair covering what is probably a tear stained face. Erwin wonders what Levi is thinking right now, but knows that he shouldn't push it. He's let Levi go at his own pace for this entire time, and he isn't about to start pushing him now.

But still, he can't help the urge to bundle Levi into his arms, nuzzle his neck and tell him that everything is going to be okay. He can't protect Levi outside the walls, but he can at least try to protect Levi right here in this room. It makes Erwin's mind itch with disgust that he can't help Levi.

"Levi," Erwin says softly, "I'm right here if you need me… "

He hears two broken sniffs, before Levi lunges for his body, arms wrapped tightly around Erwin's stomach. Levi doesn't make any noise or movement, and simply presses his body against Erwin's own.

"There we go," Erwin whispers. "It's alright, I have you."

Erwin knows that any vow to protect Levi would be pointless, because there's no way that he could ever manage to protect Levi from this world without any doubt. Even disregarding the titans, he knows there's hell inside the walls as well. Erwin couldn't do anything to save his father, and if the same people got a hold of Levi, he doesn't know what could happen.

So he makes a silent vow, heard only by himself, to do whatever in his power to protect Levi from his inner demons. He should be able to do that much.

It's a while before Levi's shaking recedes, and as he pulls away, Erwin notices that his eyes are rimmed red.

"Thanks," Levi mutters.

"Do you… want to talk about it?" Erwin asks gently.

Levi pauses. "No," he says, "I don't want to talk about it. But I think I should. If we want this… _thing_ to work out between us, I think you should know."

Erwin nods. Although he has a fair idea about what Levi is going to say, he prepares himself for anything. "Whenever you're ready."

Levi takes a deep breath.

"I didn't always live in the Underground, and for most of my childhood I lived with this- well, I don't think I could call him a man, because he was more like a monster, but I lived with him and he trained me in 3DMG and hand to hand combat. He thought I was an Alpha, my physical attributes at the time all pointed in that direction, so I was raised as an Alpha." Levi stops to take another deep breath before continuing, "Until I started smelling like an Omega. I became nothing more than an object- a _plaything_ for him to push around and abuse more than he already had."

Erwin bites the inside of his lip to stop himself from getting angry. Levi's words set his nerves on fire, need to protect his Omega pulsing in his veins, but he knows he needs to be calm. For Levi.

"When I started to go into heat, he started… started sexually abusing me. I knew then I had to run away." Levi's voice cracks. "So I did. I ran. Fought my way to the underground, got some cheap suppressants, started taking them, found Isabel and Farlen and the rest you know, of course."

Erwin nods, unsure of whether to reach out and comfort Levi yet.

"So that's it. Now you know how fucked up I am."

"You're not fucked up," Erwin insists. "The titans? The Military Police? The monarchy? They're all fucked up. You're one of the strongest people I know."

Levi shakes his head, avoiding eye contact. "Stop saying shit like that."

"No," Erwin says. "Not many people can stomach the life we live, but you do. I think that makes you incredibly strong, not just physically, but mentally."

Levi stays silent, and Erwin reaches out to grab Levi's hand. He entwines their fingers like he's done several times over the past couple of days and gently pulls Levi closer to his body. They stare at each other for several minutes in a rare of moment of serene calm. There's no longing or lust or animal instinct; it's just them, like it's always been, two souls trusting in each other.

Levi buries his face in Erwin's neck and inhales briefly at his scent gland, sighing in comfort. "Thank you."

"I love you, Levi," Erwin says, speaking the words like they're a prayer.

Levi snorts, "You're so dorky."

He probably is, but Erwin doesn't have the capacity to care, not when it comes to Levi.

Levi trails his slender fingers down the side of Erwin's neck, and Erwin starts to think that maybe he shouldn't have said _that_ so soon, but then-

"I love you too… but it doesn't mean much to me. Trust, on the other hand, is extremely important to me, and I trust you more than I trust anybody else in this shitty world. I hope you know that."

Erwin genuinely believes that he doesn't deserve Levi's trust; he never did, not after forcing him and his friends into the Survey Corps, which basically signed their death certificates. But somehow, he's earned it, and now that he has it, he'll protect it like the most fragile of glass.

He presses a soft kiss onto Levi's lips, stroking his hair gently, "I know."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hmph, morning breath," Levi slurs, pushing lightly on Erwin's chest. "Disgusting."

"You'd let me kiss you anyway," Erwin asks, fingers lightly tracing Levi's jaw, before grabbing his chin and forcing his head upward. "Omega."

They stare at each other intensely, and Levi does everything he can to suppress himself. Any other time he'd let Erwin fulfil the intention in his eyes – because Erwin is eyefucking him quite heavily right now - but it's the morning and Levi has to be out in the training ground in an hour. He's also starving, having skipped dinner last night in order to have time to fuck Erwin several times last night.

Levi breaks their staring contest by rolling his eyes and pushing Erwin away once again. "I don't have time for this," he says. "I'm hungry."

He crawls out of bed and starts the long and hefty process of putting on his uniform and hooking up his 3DMG. He's halfway through putting it on when Erwin starts helping him with the straps and buckles at the back. The fact that Erwin doesn't have to do the same might have to be the only perk to his job as Commander.

"Are you angry at me?" Erwin asks, leaning down to place his chin on Levi's shoulder.

Is _Erwin Smith_ being insecure?

Levi feels a pang of guilt in his chest.

"Shit- Erwin, no," he says, turning around to meet Erwin's eyes, "I'm just hungry. I didn't have dinner last night-"

"Why haven't you been eating?" Erwin asks in concern.

Levi rolls his eyes once again and places a reassuring hand over Erwin's. "Because I wanted to spend the time with you instead," he explains. "But right now I'm really fucking hungry and I want to spend time eating."

Erwin nods in understanding. Alphas are built to go days without food in order to feed their Omega or Beta if the need arises. Erwin skipping one meal means literally nothing, but with Levi, his stomach growls in painful hunger. His metabolism is not so lucky.

Once they're both satisfied that they're presentable – Levi almost forgets his trademark cravat, which has become convenient hickey concealer recently – they both exit Erwin's room and make their way to the mess hall.

They walk in silence, navigating easily through the halls, until a body – a soldier – bumps into his shoulder. One second Erwin is on his left, and the next second he's on his right, body shielding Levi protectively from the soldier's sight.

"Stay away," Erwin snarls, low and animalistic. His teeth are bared and his hands are embedded deeply in the soldier's arms, almost as if he's about to rip the soldier's head off. His pheromones mirror his actions, hitting Levi's nose with an intimidating smell of warning and danger.

Levi can feel the tingle of his scent gland reacting to the smell. He can feel his submissive side seep through his bloodstream and into the air. He's losing control quickly, while the ever-present arousal that he always feels around Erwin grows.

And it's _so hot_ to watch Erwin let go. He loves seeing the composed man lose control in bed, and out here is no different. His Alpha is protecting him and he loves the way that makes him feel.

But he also hates it, because the Erwin he knows - _his_ Erwin – would never do that. The guy only knocked his shoulder, and yet Erwin is acting like he put a gun to Levi's head. It's not only unfair for the soldier, but it's offensive to Levi, who can most certainly take care of himself.

And this is exactly the reason why he hates Alphas. They're irrational, hot-headed and quick to jump the gun without logic. Well, when they're hormonal, that is. Erwin is the complete opposite of irrational and hot-headed, which is probably what makes this scene so shocking to onlookers, who are now staring at the Commander incriminatingly.

So he ignores his Omegan instincts, shutting them down before it gets any worse. Instead, he seethes in anger.

"Erwin," Levi says firmly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Stop."

Erwin immediately snaps out of his trance, turning around to look at Levi. Erwin knows Levi is angry, and his face is already full of regret. He knows exactly what he's done and why it was wrong. He knows he fucked up.

"Dismissed," Levi says to the soldier, who looks like he's seen a ghost. He scurries away quickly and doesn't look back.

Levi grabs Erwin's arm and storms forward down the hallway. He doesn't care if anybody sees. He doesn't care if Erwin is embarrassed that his second in command is dragging him away. He's angry, and Erwin will just have to deal with his stupid Alpha pride being taken down a peg.

As soon as they reach Levi's destination of choice - Hanji's lab– Levi hauls Erwin inside and slams the door behind him.

"Levi-,"

"Don't you 'Levi' me," Levi snaps quickly. "What the fuck was that?"

Erwin bows his head in shame – like a school child being taunted – and Levi can't help but scoff.

Fucking Alphas. So full of bullshit.

"I just- I don't know… I was normal, and then I wasn't," Erwin explains quietly. "I felt threatened."

"So… you lost control?"

Erwin nods.

Levi feels the anger coil in his stomach. He trusts Erwin to not lose control, and yet here he is, losing control in the fucking hallway.

His fists clench, fully ready to punch Erwin's head in until it's back to coherent thinking, but he knows that wouldn't be fair on the man.

Instead, he takes two large steps forward, buries hands in Erwin's hair, tugs his head down and pulls him into rough kiss. His tongue is demanding and forceful, not allowing Erwin even a second of dominance. It feels insanely weird, but Levi refuses to give in. He's angry, and this is pretty much the only way he can express it at the moment.

He gives Erwin's bottom lip an angry nip before pushing him away dismissively.

He can see the Erwin is panting heavily because of his actions, but he refuses to give Erwin the satisfaction of a similar reaction. He simply turns on the heels of feet and walks towards the door.

"Wait!" Erwin calls out.

But Levi doesn't stop walking.

"We still haven't talked about this!" Erwin exclaims, placing a hand on Levi's shoulder. Levi reacts almost immediately, skilfully grabbing Erwin's arm, spinning him around and knocking him to the ground.

"Don't touch me," Levi growls as he trembles in anger, but already regretting his actions.

The tension stays heavy in the room as Erwin stays rooted to the ground in shock. He knows he went too far, but his body only knows how to use violence in a fight-or-flight situation. There's almost no way to stop it.

When Levi finally calms, he looks down to see Erwin's face painted with both shock and concern. He lets out a sad sigh as his clenched fists relax softly by his sides.

"I can't trust you," Levi says, pausing to bite his lip in order to ease the anxiety. "I- I can't trust somebody who will lose control at any second. I can't do it."

The expression on Erwin's face is downright heartbreaking, and Levi needs to take a moment to steady himself in order to stay still. He wants nothing more to walk over to Erwin and reassure him that it's okay, that he's going to stay with him and that there's nothing to feel threatened by. But it's not okay, and Levi can't do that.

Maybe honesty is the best policy.

"You Alphas, you think that you own me, right? You think that you can just go and do whatever you want, regardless of my feelings. I was stupid to think you were any different, Erwin. You're just like the rest of them. Out of control and arrogant." Levi rants, letting a free association of thoughts link to his mouth.

"I'm truly sorry Levi," Erwin says softly, voice cracking. His head is low and his expression is hidden. "I didn't mean for you to feel this way."

But Levi can't bear to stay in the room anymore. Erwin's pathetic scent is making him weak and he wants to be able to stand his ground on this. He wants to be strong. He wants to be able to push the Alpha away.

So push he does.

"Goodbye, Erwin," Levi mutters, walking out of the room with a painful clench in his heart.


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean you broke it off?" Hanji screeches, way too loud for the mess hall.

"Exactly that," Levi says, "I broke it off."

"But what about the expedition?"

"What about the expedition?"

"You can't leave the guy all mopey and sad just days before the expedition! _You_ can't be mopey and sad just days before the expedition!"

"Our relationship didn't interfere professionally," Levi states.

Hanji groans and slaps her hands down on the table, "You are fucking infuriating."

Levi shrugs and continues to eat while Hanji rants on for a few more minutes. Usually it's just best to let her run her mouth and say what she wants to say.

And then _he_ enters the room.

Suddenly, nothing Hanji says matters. _Nothing_ anybody could say matters, because his Alpha is in the room and he smells so freaking good. All Levi wants to do is run up to and cling to his body, and it takes every single muscle to stay restrained and seated.

"Are you even listening to me?" Hanji asks, waving a hand in front of his face.

"No," Levi answers while his eyes are still firmly fixed on Erwin.

Hanji follows the trajectory of his eyesight and lurches when she sees Erwin. "See! You still love him, I know you do."

"Never said I love him," Levi mutters, finally tearing his eyes away from his former Alpha's body. "Can we please stop talking about this now? We _were_ together and now we're not, so you're just going to have to deal with it."

"Fine," Hanji mutters.

Levi continues to keep his head down, refusing to glance at Erwin's body again. Despite that, every nerve on his body feels like it's on fire. He listens politely to Hanji's ramble on about her plans for titan exploration at the next expedition, but nothing can distract him from the scent of his former Alpha that slowly wafts through the hall.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Erwin asks one day after a meeting with the Survey Corps leaders.

Levi's eyes narrow in caution. "Are you asking as my Commander, or as an Alpha?"

"Your Commander," Erwin answers, "but also your friend."

"Friend? Really? Don't give me that shit, Erwin," Levi scoffs. "I can take care of myself, I don't need an Alpha hovering over me twenty-four-seven. I'm fine."

Something snaps inside of Erwin, and Levi can see it reflected in his expression. There's a hint of hurt and pain, but also a mask of indifference that Levi knows all too well. "Okay, if you want it that way then I'll continue this conversation in a strictly profession context."

The dismissive and formal delivery of Erwin's words is like a punch to Levi's gut. It's like all the warmth from his body has been sucked out and his heart has turned to ice. Erwin's scent is no longer comforting; it's dark and sickening, making Levi want to empty the contents of his stomach in disgust.

"Squad Leader Hanji came to me with concerns that you were not fit to go on this expedition, and I reassured her that I would look into it. I need my Captain undistracted and ready to go. Are you ready to go, Captain Levi?" Erwin asks, and it takes all of Levi's strength not to fall onto his knees and sob.

"Yes," Levi grits.

"Good. Dismissed."

He can't run from the room fast enough.

* * *

Levi doesn't sleep on the eve of the expedition.

He usually forces himself to sleep before an expedition, but this time he decides not to. Because if he falls asleep, he'll dream of Erwin, and he can't get distracted. When you're outside the walls, being distracted will almost inevitably be your downfall.

He ends up spending most of the night on the roof, watching and waiting for the sun to rise.

* * *

There's a lot of celebratory cheering once they reach Walden. Levi watches as the young recruits wave the flags of the Survey Corps and pin them on the highest towers of the town for all to see.

"Form a perimeter around the town," Erwin yells after he allows his soldiers a couple minutes of victory. "Support crew, start forming the base."

Levi moves with his Squad to form his part of the perimeter that faces Wall Maria. It's the most dangerous position, with continued titan onslaught predicted to come from that direction.

He can already see the swarm of titans in the distance.

"How far away, Mike?" Levi yells to his right, where Mike's squad is positioned.

"500 meters," Mike replies, nose twitching, "I estimate 5 minutes until they reach base."

Levi can see Erwin talk to the leaders of the support squads out of the corner of his eye. He was hoping to avoid any interaction with Erwin, but protocol dictates that Levi has to ask the Commander to engage in any unplanned manoeuvres, so he forces himself to walk up to the man.

"Erwin," Levi says, "There's a group of titans 5 minutes away. Permission to engage?"

Erwin looks briefly to the titans in question and then back to Levi. "Granted. Make it quick."

"Of course," Levi mutters, readying his blades.

But nobody predicts the thick layer of fog that rolls over the area.

* * *

Erwin knows he's made a mistake the second he sees the red flare goes up.

"Mike!" Erwin yells. "What's going on?"

"The Levi squad was doing fine, no casualties or injuries, and then the fog came and we lost sight." Mike explains, his voice strained with anxiety. "We haven't seen them for a couple of minutes."

Erwin's heart leaps into his throat. It's hard enough to kill titans out in the open air, but to kill titan in fog? It's almost impossible. And Levi is right in the thick of it.

Any other squad - any other person - and he would be able to respond quickly with a plan, but at this exact moment, his limbs are frozen and his mind is confused

There's no way he can make it out of this alive.

No way.

"Erwin! Your orders?!" Mike yells.

He has to respond. But what could he respond with? He can send Mike in there for back up, in hopes that he can save what little probably remains of Squad Levi, but he would also be sentencing his second best squad to death. And right now, the base needs to be protected.

"Give me a moment, Mike," Erwin replies, glare fixed on the fog that has engulfed his best squad and his former Omega.

He knows what his heart wants, but his head knows that something completely different is necessary.

"Mike Squad, ride to the outside perimeter of the fog and engage in any titans that emerge. Do _not_ go into the fog." Erwin orders, while a dark grimace engulfs his face.

"Erwin, I can go in-,"

"That's an order, Mike. Do it."

He can hear the screams erupt from the fog. He can smell the fear, anguish and pain. His fingers grip onto his horse's rein tightly. His breathing stops.

He can feel his entire world slowly give out underneath him.

And then a body emerges.


	9. Chapter 9

Erwin surges his horse forward towards the fog, not stopping to explain his actions to any onlookers. Frankly, he doesn't even know what he's doing either. All he knows is that the person in the distance could be Levi, and there's nothing that could stop him from finding out whether it is.

As he nears, Erwin notices that blood covers the person's body. It's bright red, thick and unchanging, which can only mean that it's human blood, not titan blood

"Levi?!" He shouts as he nears the figure. They're the same height, same hair, same build – but Erwin doesn't get his hopes up. It could still be someone else. He's still not close enough to properly see…

And then he speaks.

"Yeah, what?"

As Levi's voice rings through his ears, Erwin can feel his world slowly piece itself back together. He breathes a heavy sigh, relaxing for a couple of seconds while taking in the sight of Levi's body.

Levi's _alive_ body.

His Omega is alive.

A sudden release of adrenaline kicks his mind back into thinking. "Are you injured?" Erwin asks.

Levi nods, clutching at his arm.

"Can you get on my horse?"

Levi nods again, half-jumping and half-pulling himself up with his good arm onto the horse. He wraps his arms around Erwin's torso and rests his head on his back.

Erwin revels in the feeling of Levi's body against his – but he doesn't have time to question it – he has to keep his head clear and focused. He has to get Levi back to base and into the hands of a medic. And he still has an expedition to command.

"I know this might be hard, but I need you to tell me what happened," Erwin says while they travel back to base. "How many titans remain?"

"None from that particular swarm," Levi mutters. "But there might be more from beyond the fog."

Erwin nods, "And your squad?"

"Gone," Levi chokes, the words being forced from his mouth, "All of them."

Erwin feels outrage boil in the pit of his stomach. He's lost some of the most talented individuals the Survey Corps has to offer, but his former Omega has also been hurt in more ways than one. He's angry at the titans, but he's also angry at himself. It was his orders and his plan. Not only has humanity lost progress, but Levi has lost something as well.

Only more guilt to add to the ever growing pile of self-hate at the back of his mind.

When they reach base, Erwin gets off his horse first before helping Levi down. The medic is already waiting, instantly pouncing on the Omega to survey his arm.

Levi silently lets the woman do her job, with much less fuss than he's procured in the past. Erwin can tell Levi's mental state is falling apart, but doesn't say anything, leaving Levi with a fleeting touch to the shoulder. He has work to do, and Levi wouldn't want him there anyway.

He reluctantly leaves Levi with the medic to go relay more orders to Mike.

In the end, the expedition turns out to be one of the most successful in the history of the Survey Corps. Despite the loss of Levi's squad, the death count of the 39th Expedition is still less than average. A track to Walden and a base were both successfully created, something that can be utilised for every single forthcoming expedition.

The Survey Corps saved themselves for at least another year. It's a massive victory.

But it doesn't feel like that to Erwin.

* * *

Levi's body runs on autopilot until he reaches his decided destination. He lifts his hand to knock on the door, but hesitates briefly, dropping his hand entirely.

Does he really want to do this?

Does he really want to go running back to Erwin? Especially when he's this vulnerable?

He stopped their relationship for a reason – a legitimate reason – so why is he doing this to himself?

His mind is screaming for him to run, but his heart his telling him to stay. He craves his Alpha's touch, his Alpha's scent, his Alpha's dominance, his Alpha's protection; he craves Erwin so fucking much.

But is it enough for his heart to win out over his mind?

It doesn't matter anyway, because the door is already opening. _Of course_, he should have predicted that Erwin would smell him from a mile away.

"Levi?" Erwin asks. Levi can't bear to look him in the eye, so he casts his eyes to Erwin's desk in the background. "Are you alright?"

"I know this is a lot to ask, but I… I don't want to shower in the communal bathrooms…"

He's going to get rejected, he knows he is, and God, it was such a stupid idea-

"Of course," Erwin replies softly.

Levi looks up, startled at Erwin's reply. He didn't expect Erwin to want to help him - not after splitting up with him so spectacularly - and now he doesn't quite know what to do.

"Come on," Erwin says, picking up Levi's hand and gently tugging him into the room. "Your towel is still in the bathroom and you can take as much time as you want."

Levi guides himself to the bathroom, but stops just outside.

_They're gone._

His entire squad is gone.

His limbs are tense and his mouth is frozen. He can't move or speak. He can't do anything, but stand in shock, eyes pinned to the bathroom door.

"Levi?" Erwin asks, walking around to meet Levi's eyes. "Levi? What is it? What's wrong?"

Levi can smell Erwin's scent as it radiates off his body in calm waves.

_Alpha. He's Alpha. He'll protect you, Levi. Let go._

He starts to tremble and his legs give out, body falling to the floor ungracefully.

"Levi," Erwin says as he follows Levi down to the floor, still making sure to maintain distance. "I'm here, okay?"

Levi can feel tears form at the back of his eyes, but desperately represses them. He pushes his good arm onto the floor, crouching over in order to hide himself.

"What do you need, Levi?" Erwin asks gently.

His thoughts instantly turn to the caked blood which covered most of his skin. Most of it had been washed off by the medic, but Levi can still feel it anyway - like a stain – reminding him of how he fucked up so brutally.

"I need-," Levi chokes, "I need this blood off of me."

"We can do that," Erwin says reassuringly. "I'll run a bath for you, okay?"

Levi nods – or maybe he doesn't, he honestly has no idea at this point – and whimpers as Erwin moves away, his scent going with him.

The tears continue to blind his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall.

_Oh God, what have I done? I've let them all die…_

"Levi, you have to get up in order to get to the bath," Erwin says, hand touching his shoulder, breaking him from his trance. Levi shivers at the Alpha's touch and leans into it instinctively. So nice, so warm, so perfect-

"Levi, I'm going to try and lift you, is that okay?" Erwin asks. This time, Levi can actually feel himself nod, as he leans into Erwin's arms, body fully pliant and willing.

His head rolls into Erwin's shoulder as he breathes in his scent, sniffing it like a highly addictive drug. If he had the strength, his fingers would latch onto Erwin's skin and he would never let go, but he has no strength at all.

Levi hisses as Erwin lifts his body away from his own, struggling slightly while he places him into the bath.

"Shhh, Levi, it's okay." Erwin soothes, placing a hand in Levi's hair. "Shhh."

He slowly removes Levi's wet clothes – most of it was ruined anyway, not that Levi would ever want to wear a reminder of this day – and starts to lather a cloth with soap.

"Do you want to do it?" Erwin asks, holding out the cloth.

Levi takes the cloth and methodically wipes himself down, making sure that every inch of his body is clean from the vile red substance that has covered him, even if it's not visibly present on his skin. He feels so tired and numb, like his limbs are dead weight. But the cleaning calms him, just like it always has, and it's enough to stop him from giving up entirely and falling asleep.

When he starts to wipe his back, he turns to Erwin who has been silently standing in the corner this entire time.

"I can't reach," he mutters, "Can you do it for me?"

Erwin nods and gently starts to wipe down Levi's back, stopping periodically to wash the dirty soap away.

"My neck, too," Levi whispers, tipping his head to side and bearing his scent gland to Erwin, too tired to realise the implications of his actions.

"Levi," Erwin says, voice weak with emotion.

"Please, Erwin," Levi clasps onto Erwin's arm, "It's dirty."

"Okay," Erwin agrees, finally relenting and leaning forward to start wiping his neck.

The tension in the room grows, but Levi doesn't have the strength to care. There's always going to be sexual tension between the two of them, that's never going to change.

It's only until Erwin touches Levi's scent gland that he realises what he's done. Levi jerks forward, gasping for air as his nervous system throttles back into motion.

Mate. _Mate._

"Shit, I'm sorry Levi," Erwin says immediately, "I didn't mean to, I tried to be gentle…"

"It's fine," Levi mutters. How could he be so stupid to bare his neck like that? "My fault. I think I'm clean enough anyway."

Levi drains the bath water first and then dries himself in the bathtub. He weighs up the option of trying to exit the bathroom himself, but resigns himself to the fact that he'll need Erwin's help anyway. He might as well just not bother.

"Carry me?" He asks simply.

Erwin nods, moving to pick Levi up again.

Levi, losing himself to the touch of an Alpha once more, lets a soft purr escape from his lips. He lets out another as Erwin sets him down on his soft bed. His eyes droop instantly, the tiredness taking over his body as his Alpha takes care of him.

"You didn't bring any clothes, did you?"

Levi shakes his head.

"You can borrow mine?"

"I don't care… Just wanna sleep…" Levi slurs.

"Okay," Erwin mutters, rearranging his sheets so that Levi can fit snuggly underneath. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Whatever," Levi latches onto Erwin's hand briefly, "Just… Don't leave…"

"Of course,"

Levi's eyes finally close and his muscles relax. "Don't leave me in the fog…"

"The fog can't harm you anymore."

"Thanks… Erwin…" Levi mumbles, finally letting his mind drift off.

Erwin leans forward, placing a delicate kiss to Levi's forehead. "I'm so sorry, Levi."


	10. Chapter 10

_The screams of both humans and titans urge Levi further into the fog, slashing his blades at an inhumane speed. His body twists and turns in ways that a human body isn't supposed to, and it leaves him breathless and weak._

_But he keeps going. He's Humanity's Strongest. His Squad needs him to lead. The base needs to be protected._

_And yet the adrenaline coursing through his body is nowhere near enough to stop the fear of what lies ahead. Everything is so unpredictable. It's impossible to know if his next second will be his last._

_His wire is cut and he plummets to the ground, landing on his arm with a loud crack. He lets out a sharp groan, before forcing himself to his feet._

_Broken 3DMG._

_It's impossible to fight anymore._

_He has to retreat._

_Ignoring the grotesque screams from his Squad, he turns around and runs._

_And runs._

* * *

Levi wakes with a start, shaking violently from the force of the nightmare.

Instinctively, he reaches for the knife he always keeps under his pillow, ready to attack anybody or anything that would threaten him-

But it's not there.

He's not in his own bed; he's in Erwin's.

And suddenly, the events of the previous day come flooding back. Erwin looking after him, breaking down on the floor, his arm, the blood, the fog….

"It wasn't a nightmare," Levi mutters. "It was real."

He turns to his head to the side and notices a note pinned to the bedside table titled "Levi" in fancy, perfect handwriting that could only belong to Erwin.

_Levi,_

_I'm sorry I had to leave before you woke up. I have post-expedition business to attend to, and I know you don't want to see me right now._

_I've given you the day off on official sick leave, so you don't have to bother reporting in to me. Just rest._

_I'm so sorry,_

_Erwin._

Levi reads the letter several times just to make sure that the words on the paper are even real. The letter is so… _defeatist_ in a way that Levi has never actually seen from Erwin.

There's a pang of regret deep in his chest.

_I know you don't want to see me right now._

What does that even mean? Erwin's not a mind reader. He can't tell what Levi is thinking. So why the hell is he trying to put words into his mouth? And what's up with the multiple apologies? All Erwin did was look after him, so why does he keep saying sorry?

Levi twists his limbs into a foetal position, wrapping himself further into Erwin's sheets. He slowly drift back to sleep, the confusion of the letter and the anxiety from the nightmare weighing heavily on his mind.

He knows, one way or another, he has to fix this.

* * *

Levi smells Erwin long before Erwin smells Levi.

Levi has helped himself to one of Erwin's many white, long-sleeved shirts. Even though it's clean, it still smells faintly of Erwin, and Levi catches himself sniffing the collar every now and then when unsettling thoughts concerning yesterday come creeping into his mind.

Knowing that the shirt masks his scent, Levi can't help but smirk when Erwin enters his room and his jaw drops.

"Levi," Erwin breathes, "What are you doing here?"

"You gave me the day off and told me to rest. So I did. In your bed." Levi states, shrugging. "Did I catch you off guard?"

Erwin nods. "You're wearing my shirt."

"Well yeah," Levi mutters, "I woke up naked, so…"

Erwin nods again, and Levi can easily tell that he's repressing his emotions. It's much more than his usual mask of void emotion. The muscles of his face are so contorted and strained that Levi has an indefinite urge to run over to him and soothe them out with delicate touches.

"You're obviously hurting, Erwin," Levi says bluntly. "Talk to me."

"I'm not hurting," Erwin replies.

"Then you're hating yourself," Levi says. "But for once, I don't know why. The guilt, I understand, but this? These endless apologies you keep giving me? It goes deeper than your usual post-expedition guilt."

Erwin stays silent and refuses to meet Levi's eyes, but Levi knows everything he says resonates within him. Their connection as an Alpha and Omega and as friends and partners is too strong to let Levi's intuition down. "Sit down and talk to me."

Erwin tentatively sits down on his bed. "I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday," he says. "I… left you there to die. Mike wanted to go in after you, but I told him not to. Everything happened under my orders, so it's ultimately my fault."

"It's fine," Levi mutters bitterly, "We can't predict the outcomes of our choices. Nobody saw that fog coming."

But Erwin continues talking like Levi had said nothing. "I'm sorry for all the shit I've flung into your life, Levi," he says, voice breaking. "I never wanted to hurt you, but I have, so many times, and I hate myself for it."

"Erwin-,"

"I understand if you hate me too-,"

"Erwin!" Levi hisses. "Shut up."

Erwin finally looks to Levi, dumfounded at the turn of the conversation. "Please stop with that self-depreciating crap," Levi says. "And stop acting like you're the worst thing that's ever happened to me. You're without a doubt the best fucking thing that's ever happened to me. I have no idea how you could think otherwise."

"But the other day-,"

"The other day you did something stupid, and it hurt our relationship, but it didn't hurt me, and I know that wasn't you're intention. You were only trying to protect me. It was a stupid thing to do, but you're only human, Alpha or not."

Levi pauses before saying the next words. He tilts his head to the side and buries his head in the collar of Erwin's shirt, breathing in the comforting scent that lingers there. "I forgive you, Erwin," he says with conviction. "I'm not sure I trust you fully yet, but I can't hold a grudge when you haven't hurt me directly. With yesterday not counting."

There's a silence, and Levi watches as the tension in Erwin's eyebrows, mouth and jaw release, relaxing into a state of relief. "Thank you for forgiving me," he says.

Levi snorts, shaking his head. "As long as we can put this behind us and move forward," Levi says, to which Erwin nods his head, fully agreeing. "Now come up here and give me a hug. I want to smell you."

To anybody else, the request would be strangely out of character for someone like Levi, but Erwin easily complies, moving to encircle his arms around Levi's tired and sore body, head fitting snuggly in his neck. Levi rests his head on Erwin's, breathing in the fresh scent that lingers there.

For the first time in weeks, Levi sighs happily.

"I still feel really terrible," Erwin whispers, so softly that Levi almost doesn't catch it.

"I know," Levi replies, fingers delicately carding through Erwin's blonde hair, "But there are some things we can't control. This is part of our job. I'm going to be in life or death situations and you're going to put me there. This isn't a fairytale; it's a war. We can't have our relationship interfere with that, no matter what."

He can hear a soft whine emit itself from Erwin's body as he breathes shakily against Levi's neck. His arms wrap tightly around Levi's body, and fingers dig deep into Levi's clothes. Erwin's scent is one of vulnerability, but it's also one of possession.

Levi knows it must be hard for the man, or any Alpha, to hear those words. To hear that one day, he might have to send his Omega to his death. So he lets Erwin claim his body, with both his scent and his hands, because he knows that Erwin needs the comfort.

"Promise me, that if the need arises, you'll send me to my death. Don't put my life above anybody else's, okay?" Levi asks after Erwin's breathing calms down.

"Okay," Erwin agrees with a heavy heart, "I promise."

"Alright, enough of that crap talk," Levi announces abruptly, breaking the air of depression. "I'm hungry and I want food."

"For someone so small, you sure do eat a lot."

"Shut it," Levi snaps, before pausing to think. "Damn, I don't have any clothes… I could keep wearing yours, but you can see how ridiculous that looks."

"What if I told you that I might have some of your clothes?" Erwin asks sheepishly.

Levi's brows furrow. "Why do you have some of my clothes?"

"You left them here," Erwin mutters, "And I _might_ have taken to smelling them when I missed you."

Levi snorts, removing himself from Erwin and standing up to stretch out his limbs. "You're fucking weird, you know that?"

"As long as you're not angry at me..."

"With the way you treat me, Erwin, it's really hard to be angry at you."

Erwin captures Levi's body in a tender hug from behind. "I'm glad you think I treat you well," he murmurs into Levi's neck. "I want to treat you well."

"And you do," Levi replies, running his hands down Erwin's arm.

Levi turns around and leans into Erwin's body while catching his gaze. He analyses the vulnerability in Erwin's blue eyes and reaches up to tug his head down.

"You do," Levi whispers, determined to make sure Erwin listens to what he says. Erwin's eyes close as he leans down further to rest his forehead against Levi's.

Levi bites the inside of mouth. The fuzzy feeling of lust that always plagues him around Erwin is stronger than ever. After weeks apart, he's missed having even the smallest of intimate encounters.

His gaze flitters to Erwin's lips. It's been so long and his lips are so tempting…

Levi takes the plunge, leaning up to brush his lips lightly against Erwin's for a fleeting few seconds.

Erwin tenses, before sighing softly, "Levi…"

Levi hums and pulls away from Erwin's hold. "I'm still hungry."

"Of course," Erwin says, reaching into a drawer to pull out Levi's clothes. Levi dutifully puts them on, but deep down he's sad to see Erwin's oversized shirt leave his body.

Just as they're about to leave the room, Erwin stops.

"Wait," he says, rifling through his closet before pulling out a black blazer jacket, "It's cold tonight."

Erwin holds the jacket out for Levi to thread his arms into, but it doesn't quite turn out as expected. With an annoyed expression, Levi lifts his arms up to show just how much of the jacket sleeve isn't actually occupied by his arms. Erwin tries desperately to muffle his laughs, but fails.

God damn it.

"I hate you so much," Levi mutters with a piercing death glare. He pulls his arms out of the jacket and simply shrugs it onto his shoulders. He catches a whiff of Erwin's scent on the jacket and his lips curve into a small smile.

"Let's go get you some food," Erwin says, guiding Levi towards the door and through the hall with a careful touch.

Later, Levi wonders if their outing to get food was more of a date than anything else. He soon decides that, yes, it was a date, and no, he's not going to push Erwin away because of it.


	11. Chapter 11

_2 years later_

"Get off me. You stink." Levi mutters, pushing at Erwin's shoulders.

Erwin replies by showering Levi's upper body with tiny kisses

"Stop it," Levi whines, feeling the heat rise in his body once more. Erwin pouts. "_No._ No more sex. I need sleep."

"But Levi-,"

"No."

"I thought I was the Alpha in this relationship?"

"Yes, but you're completely wrapped around my finger," Levi explains, taking Erwin's distraction to finally push his body off of his own. "Any more sex and I won't be able to ride my horse tomorrow. How are you going to explain that? 'I'm sorry soldiers, Captain Levi can't join you on our exercise because I fucked him too many times last night. Oops.'"

"But you love it anyway," Erwin drawls, moving to kiss his neck again.

Well, that is true. In fact, he particularly loves the burn left over from an intense night of debauchery with Erwin.

He lets a quiet moan escape his lips while Erwin showers his neck with kisses. Another round of sex wouldn't be too harmful, surely. And Erwin is particularly irresistible tonight, although Levi can't place his finger on exactly why.

In fact, Erwin's been extremely irresistible for a while now. Even when Levi's been dead focused on work, his mind can't help but slip and think about Erwin for a couple of seconds. It feels awkward to be apart, like they're clingy teenagers who can't control themselves. His libido has also risen, with the two of them having sex every night for multiple rounds each time. Not that it's a bad thing - because sex with Erwin is the best fucking thing in the world - but it's also very time consuming and exhausting. They both have jobs to do, and they vowed that their relationship wouldn't get in the way of it.

And Levi's starting to think it's becoming a problem.

Erwin is now thoroughly sucking on his scent gland and Levi's eyes roll back into the back of his head in pleasure. "Alright, one more round," Levi relents. "But you're doing the work and no knotting. Be gentle."

"Yes sir," Erwin mocks.

"Just shut up and fuck me, Commander."

* * *

"I know exactly what's going on," Hanji says nonchalantly after Levi voices his concerns with her. "You guys have been together for what? Two years now?"

Levi nods.

"And you haven't mated, have you?"

"No…"

"Well there's your problem," Hanji says simply. "You two have formed the emotional connection that mates have, but you haven't followed it through physically."

"But he's knotted me more than enough times," Levi replies.

"You know there's more to mating than that. Knotting is a part of mating, yes, but you also need to be biting each other's scent glands, rubbing your scents off on one another and having pups together."

"But that's not an option," Levi growls. "We can't give away any inclination that we're together and we _most certainly_ can't have pups." Even so, he still catches himself looking in the mirror and wandering what his stomach would look like if it were swollen with Erwin's pups.

"You should still be biting each other's scent glands. It's all about symbolically recognising your relationship outside of sex. You've formed the _human_, emotional connection, now you just need to form the _animal_, physical connection. The attachment and heightened libido should calm down after that." Hanji explains. "You have your cravat which should cover it any marks made to your neck. And I can think of something for Erwin. Problem solved."

He's long gotten over the shock of being in a committed relationship with an Alpha, and his trust issues have mostly been solved by many long discussions with Erwin, but he still can't help but feel a rational hesitation to the idea of mating with Erwin. And not just because he's an Alpha, but because of their jobs.

Mating is supposed to be a lifelong commitment, and once a bond has formed, it's unlikely that you'll form a stronger connection with anybody else, and Levi hates the idea of leaving Erwin so broken and alone when he inevitably dies. He'd much rather leave now and let Erwin mate with somebody else who will be with him forever.

But they're probably too far-gone for that. A connection has already been made, and now they have to live with the consequences.

And the animal part of his brain is screaming at him to do it. To let Erwin take him and claim him and _own him_. He trusts Erwin enough, he really does, and his body tingles just at the thought.

Maybe they do need this.

"I'll talk to him about it," Levi concludes.

Hanji squeals, clapping her hands together. "Great! I'm so excited!"

Levi rolls his eyes and goes about his business with a slightly uplifted demeanour.

* * *

That night, Levi finds himself being pulled by Erwin into their bedroom.

"You're okay?" Erwin asks, hands grabbing as Levi's body, checking for any sign of damage.

"Yeah," Levi says, slightly dazed, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Erwin calms slightly. "You're usually here before me, and I guess I freaked out a bit when you weren't here…" He continues to stare at Levi's body, eyes turning dark with lust. "I've been thinking about you all day."

"I was resolving a fight in the barracks," Levi says, breath hitching when Erwin starts rubbing at his crotch. He can feel his asshole dampen and twitch at the feeling of an Alpha manhandle him. "Those stupid Alphas couldn't control themselves."

Levi is often called in to diffuse situations between hormonal and territorial Alphas, and Levi knows that Erwin knows this (he's usually the one to bring Levi in anyway), but Levi can still smell the jealousy emitted from Erwin.

"So you're spending your nights with other Alphas now?" Erwin asks, pushing Levi against the door, hands tearing into his uniform. If he was in a sound mind, he'd bitch at Erwin for ruining yet another uniform, but once again, he's too blinded by lust to care.

"N-No," Levi whines, bucking his hips up. "I'm- I'm yours, Erwin. Only yours. Always yours."

Erwin tears his own clothes off and lifts Levi into the air so that his legs can wrap around his waist. Levi moans, high and breathy as Erwin's cock brushes against his hole.

"Tell me more," Erwin mutters, hips lightly thrusting against Levi.

"You're the only person who gets to touch me and see me like this- _fuck_, Erwin, you're the only one I want. Just you."

Erwin's free hand wraps around half of Levi's neck, with his thumb pressed against his scent gland.

Levi's body jerks as Erwin presses down. "Fuck!" He cries. Erwin's mouth is also close… So close… Just a few inches and his teeth could be biting down and marking him and mating him and fuck, fuck, _fuck_… "Erwin… Erwin please…"

"I have you," Erwin whispers, easing his fingers off Levi's neck. "Are you okay?"

Levi nods frantically. "I just- Fuck me already, damn it!"

Erwin chuckles before lining up his cock and fucking Levi hard against the door. Levi's body writhes in pleasure, pliant in Erwin's arms. When Erwin reaches his climax, he starts to pull out, but Levi clings to him and hisses, "No. Stay."

So Erwin ends up carrying Levi to the bed and knotting deep inside him. Levi rides out his orgasm against Erwin's knot, with Erwin making sure to kiss and touch Levi as gently as possible in order to help Levi down from his high.

"Well that was interesting," Levi huffs after a while.

"You regret it?" Erwin asks.

"Not particularly," Levi replies. "I just wanted to talk to you about something before we went and did this."

"You can talk to me now?"

"I don't know whether it's a conversation to be having with your dick in my ass."

"Try me," Erwin says simply.

"Fine," Levi mutters. Might as well go for the direct approach. It's worked well for them so far. "Hanji thinks we should mate."

"Mate? As in like, have a pup?" Erwin asks confused.

Levi sighs. "No. Well, yes, but not in _that way_. There's more to mating than having a pup. Honestly, I don't fully understand it myself, and you should probably talk to Hanji, but… it's about… symbolically recognising our relationship..."

"I think that sounds like a great idea," Erwin says, before stopping to think. "But why?"

"The clinginess, the heightened libido, the possessiveness… You can't tell me you haven't noticed it."

"Well… yeah… but I thought it was normal?"

"Not really," Levi sighs. "Hanji said that we've formed the emotional connection that mates have, but we haven't formally mated. And we can't, but we can… we can start biting each other's scent glands."

"I'd like that," Erwin groans. "Oh God, I'd love nothing more than to claim you as my mate." Levi can't help but blush. "But is this what you want or what Hanji wants?"

"Well… Hanji wants it, but I do as well. And not just because we're acting like sex-crazed animals, but because you're mine, and I'm yours."

"Then I'd love to mate you, Levi," Erwin murmurs, rubbing his thumb tenderly down Levi's cheek. "We can take tomorrow afternoon off. Go to the cabin. Have some alone time."

The cabin is a small building that Erwin bought off a bankrupt farmer for their first anniversary. They usually use it when Levi needs to go through heat, but they also use it to getaway every now and then. It's positioned about an hour ride away from HQ, and Levi fucking loves the place. It's quiet, clean and it's a nice nesting place for only them.

"Sounds perfect," Levi whispers back, leaning into Erwin touch. He lets his eyes flutter shut, content to let Erwin worship his body with light touches and kisses.

"My dick is still in your ass," Erwin muses teasingly, blowing a raspberry onto his chest.

"You're terrible and I hate you."

Erwin chuckles. "Love you too, Levi."

* * *

Erwin and Levi's fingers stay entwined between their horses the entire ride to the cabin, with Erwin leaning over to steal a kiss every now and then and Levi swatting him away playfully.

Levi isn't quite sure how it happens, but once they get to the cabin, they gravitate to the couch and start making out heatedly.

"Stop it," Levi murmurs. "We still have to eat dinner yet."

"Just one more," Erwin says, leaning down to kiss Levi firmly on the lips, licking his tongue into Levi's mouth one last time. "You taste so good."

Levi scowls, pushing Erwin off him and standing up. "We're making dinner. Now."

For the most part, Erwin manages to keep his hands to himself, and by the end of their dinner preparation, Levi is aching for Erwin's touch.

"Okay, fine, you win," Levi says, flinging himself into Erwin arms and burying his head into Erwin's chest. It's almost pathetic how dependent on Erwin he is, but when he feels this safe trapped in Erwin arms, he doesn't seem to care too much anymore.

* * *

"That was really nice," Levi murmurs into Erwin's ear as they both finish their dinner.

Levi is sitting comfortably in Erwin's lap, arms wrapped around his body. Every now and then, Erwin will place bits of his own food into Levi's mouth, and even though Levi hates the idea of being hand-fed, he accepts graciously, enjoying the amount of care his Alpha puts into him.

Levi bites Erwin's ear. "I think it's time I finally had my way with you," he whispers, nudging down to Erwin's scent gland, not quite touching it, but hot breath hovering just above.

"Fuck," Erwin bites out. "Do it, Levi."

"Bed first," Levi whispers, legs encircling Erwin's waist, waiting to be picked up.

Erwin grunts, standing up while also holding onto Levi, who mewls at the feeling of being handled by his Alpha. Erwin places Levi on their bed before curling on top of him and bearing his neck.

Levi wonders whether it's usually the Omega who does the biting first. It's probably not, but that's not going to stop him from claiming Erwin before Erwin does it to him.

"Someone's eager," Levi mutters.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Levi's breath is still hot on Erwin's neck. "How long?"

"Since I first met you," Erwin breathes.

"Do you think you could wait a little longer?" Levi hums.

Erwin groans in frustration and Levi chuckles, finally attaching his lips to Erwin's scent gland. He doesn't start biting immediately, but starts sucking hard enough to leave big purple bruises.

"Levi, I-," Erwin stutters, fingers embedded deeply in Levi's back, the feeling overwhelming his mind.

"Shhh," Levi coos, scraping his teeth along the gland.

When Levi finally embeds his teeth in Erwin's scent gland, Erwin all but howls, hands grabbing at any inch of Levi he can find, body taut and limbs trembling. He collapses on top of Levi, who manoeuvres himself to Erwin's side, teeth still attached to Erwin's neck.

Levi can smell the pheromones pouring from Erwin's gland, and it smells delicious. Levi uses his tongue to lick the skin in-between his teeth to try and gain access to more of the scent. It's pungent with the usual lust and arousal, but also has a different hint to it.

One that is like a warning sign for anyone else.

Anyone other than Levi.

Levi slowly detracts his teeth from Erwin's skin, who visibly relaxes in his arms. Levi gives Erwin's gland one last playful nip and Erwin moans.

"What was it like?" Levi asks tentatively.

"It was like-," Erwin has to pause in order to slow his breathing, and Levi cards his fingers through Erwin's hair in affection. "It was like this coil inside of me snapped. At first it was so intense and blinding, but after a while it was really comforting."

Levi bites his lip. He knows that mating with Erwin is something safe - something that we wants more than anything - but right now, he feels anxious as hell. "So I guess it's my turn?"

Erwin's lifts his hand so that his thumb can dislodge Levi's lip from his teeth, before kissing him tenderly. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he says, as if he instinctually recognises Levi's anxiety.

"I want to," Levi says defensively. "I'm just… scared."

"Of what?" Erwin asks. "You can talk to me, remember? It's much better to say what you're feeling than to hold it in."

Levi nods – he knows this – but even after so many instances of Levi spilling his secrets to his Alpha, he still gets nervous. "I… I'm afraid to be attached to an Alpha…"

"I'd never forcibly keep you. You have a right to say 'no'."

"I know."

"And I will always stop if you say 'no'."

"I know."

"And you still want this?"

Levi nods, fingers clutching onto Erwin's clothes. "Maybe if we get naked, I might feel at ease."

"Okay," Erwin agrees, shedding both his and Levi's clothes with ease. Levi will never understand how he does it so fast. "Is that better?"

Levi nods again, and leans over to start kissing Erwin again, slowly and sweetly. "I want you to do it," he says, tilting his own head to the side so his gland is on offer to Erwin.

Erwin eyes darken and his head dips into Levi's neck, with Levi using his hands to hold Erwin's head there.

When Erwin's teeth scape the skin of Levi's gland, Levi cries out, his body shivering at the overstimulation.

"Fuck, Erwin," Levi gasps, head tilted back as far as it can go. "Do it, do it, _do it._"

Erwin's teeth sink fully into the flesh of Levi's gland and his whole body goes stiff. His eyes roll into the back of his head and he can swears he sees stars dancing around his vision as all the tension building in his body snaps and releases.

Levi can feel their affinity for each other climb, as they become connected not only as an Alpha and Omega, but also as mates.

His body slowly climbs down from the high as Erwin releases his skin, sucking small hickeys into his neck. The loss of tension is comforting, but also frustrating, as his whole body lights up with arousal once more.

He _needs_ his Alpha.

"More, Erwin," Levi moans, fingernails digging into Erwin's skin, legs wrapping around Erwin's waist. "I need more."

"Turn around," Erwin orders, voice low and strained. "Ass up." Levi complies, turning onto his stomach and presenting his ass for Erwin.

Erwin slots in behind Levi, reaching out a hand to hold against Levi neck, thumb imprinting onto his scent gland, much like he did yesterday.

"Damn it," Levi gasps, bearing his neck further for Erwin to hold. He bucks his hips up in order to feel more but Erwin isn't having a bar of it. "_Fuck._"

"Whose Omega are you?" Erwin asks, head bent down and as close to Levi's ear as he can get it.

"Yours. Always yours." Levi mutters.

"Good answer," Erwin replies, grabbing his cock and fucking into Levi with one swift thrust.

"Shit," Levi gasps, back arching at the feeling of Erwin's cock reaching deep inside of him. The angle is perfect, hitting Levi's sweet spot every single time with powerful force that only an Alpha could muster. He buries his face into the sheets and jerks shakily underneath Erwin.

It doesn't take long for them to both climax, Levi into the sheets and Erwin on top of Levi. Erwin holds Levi's hand through his orgasm, helping him down softly despite fucking him roughly into the mattress. When Erwin orgasms, he pulls out just before knotting so that he can bite Levi's scent gland one last time and watch him squirm tiredly underneath him.

"Ugh, that's fucking disgusting Erwin," Levi mutters, surveying his dirtied body covered in bodily fluids.

Erwin rolls his eyes and scoops Levi into his arms, carrying him into the bathroom. He knows Levi doesn't mind the mess as long as he gets a relaxing hot bath out of it.

They spend the rest of the night nuzzling and nipping at each other's scent glands, blissfully content to enjoy each other's company without caring about anything else in the world.

* * *

Levi wakes to Erwin placing feather light kisses to his chest, and mumbles incoherently about the time.

"What's that sweetie?" Erwin asks, moving so they're eye to eye.

"I said, 'what's the time?'" Levi answers, knowing that they have to be back at HQ by midday.

"Midmorning," Erwin replies, sweeping Levi's lips up in a sweet kiss. "But don't worry. I've already cleaned up and made breakfast. All you need to do is get dressed, eat and leave."

"You're fucking perfect," Levi groans.

They kiss a few more times before Levi notices Erwin's neck and gasps. "Shit. Look at your neck, Erwin." Levi says, inspecting the dark purple masses of bite marks and bruises. "How the fuck are we going to cover that up?"

"This time, a scarf, probably," Erwin explains. "Hanji also gave me this concealer which will help for tinier bite marks that we make from now on, but it won't be able to cover something like this up."

Levi nods his head, but he can't help but feel depressed at the fact that they have to hide like this. Every single time he wants to mark Erwin, he's going to have to hold back. Just like with everything they do, their jobs have to come first, but deep down Levi doesn't want it this way. If his animal side had anything to say about it, Erwin's marks would be on display for everybody to see.

Erwin can see the slither of apprehension cross Levi's face. "It'll be okay. I know it's going to be hard, but we'll manage. We've made it this far, haven't we?"

"Yeah,"

"Then we'll make it even further. Trust me."

"Okay," Levi says, because trusting Erwin is the one thing he indefinitely knows how to do.

The two dress themselves slowly and eat in peace, enjoying the last of their alone time together, stealing kisses whenever they can. Levi knows that there will probably be many more visits to the cabin from now on, but he'll make the most of the time he has now despite it.

When they get back to HQ, everybody notices their renewed energy. But nobody says anything, of course. Not unless they want to be flayed alive by Squad Leader Hanji.

* * *

"I love you," Levi whispers into Erwin's hair in the dead of night. "You've helped me feel again, and I love you for it. Even in your worst moments and darkest days, I'll love you. Even when the whole world is against you, I'll still love you. And one day, we'll destroy the titans and buy a house and have pups and grow old and die together; I promise."

_The End_

* * *

Author: Thank you for reading! If you liked it, consider leaving a comment or visiting me at my tumblr (levierwins)

You can also view other one shots in the universe at this link: archiveofourown dot org / series/178226 (no spaces)


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